Teal (Anas crecca)
Species
Teal (Anas crecca). Male. Taken at Slimbridge, Gloucs., on January 17th 2019.
Male. Taken at Slimbridge, Gloucs., on January 17th 2019.
(1/500th sec at f11. Click image for larger version. © David Hastings)
Teal (Anas crecca). Female. Taken at Titchwell Marsh, Norfolk, on February 3rd 2020.
Female. Taken at Titchwell Marsh, Norfolk, on February 3rd 2020.
(1/250th sec at f8. Click image for larger version. © David Hastings)

Description

L: 34 - 43 cm; WS: 53 - 59 cm

Teals are small dabbling ducks. Males have chestnut coloured heads with broad green eye-patches, a spotted chest, grey flanks and a black edged yellow tail. Females are mottled brown. Both show bright green wing patches in flight.

Teal can be found throughout the British Isles.

They favour northern moors and mires for breeding. In winter birds congregate in low-lying wetlands in the south and west.

Many continental birds spend the winter in Britain.

This is an Amber-list species because the UK is home to a significant percentage of the NW European wintering population.

Sightings

16-Mar-2024 : Standlake Common, Oxon (8)
16-Feb-2024 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (11)
02-Feb-2024 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (2)
31-Jan-2024 : Slimbridge, Glos
26-Jan-2024 : Standlake Common, Oxon
16-Jan-2024 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (6)

26-Dec-2023 : Standlake Common, Oxon
05-Dec-2023 : Cote, Oxon (100+)
07-Nov-2023 : Slimbridge, Glos
22-Oct-2023 : Standlake Common, Oxon (42)
27-Apr-2023 : Standlake Common, Oxon
20-Apr-2023 : Standlake Common, Oxon
17-Apr-2023 : Standlake Common, Oxon (40+)
16-Apr-2023 : Standlake Common, Oxon
19-Mar-2023 : Standlake Common, Oxon
15-Mar-2023 : Otmoor, Oxon
11-Mar-2023 : Standlake Common, Oxon (50+)
26-Feb-2023 : Standlake Common, Oxon (60+)
19-Feb-2023 : Standlake Common, Oxon (50+)
05-Feb-2023 : Standlake Common, Oxon
01-Feb-2023 : Standlake Common, Oxon
19-Jan-2023 : Slimbridge, Glos
01-Jan-2023 : Standlake Common, Oxon

26-Dec-2022 : Standlake Common, Oxon
06-Dec-2022 : Standlake Common, Oxon
20-Nov-2022 : Standlake Common, Oxon
13-Nov-2022 : Standlake Common, Oxon
18-Oct-2022 : Standlake Common, Oxon
18-Oct-2022 : Otmoor, Oxon
16-Oct-2022 : Standlake Common, Oxon
08-Oct-2022 : Standlake Common, Oxon
09-Aug-2022 : Otmoor, Oxon
26-Jul-2022 : Otmoor, Oxon
23-Apr-2022 : Standlake Common, Oxon (6+)
15-Apr-2022 : Standlake Common, Oxon
26-Mar-2022 : Standlake Common, Oxon
27-Feb-2022 : Standlake Common, Oxon
07-Feb-2022 : Otmoor, Oxon
30-Jan-2022 : Standlake Common, Oxon
24-Jan-2022 : Radley Lakes, Oxon (2)
09-Jan-2022 : Standlake Common, Oxon
05-Jan-2022 : Otmoor, Oxon
04-Jan-2022 : Radley Lakes, Oxon
01-Jan-2022 : Radley Lakes, Oxon

29-Dec-2021 : Radley Lakes, Oxon
09-Dec-2021 : Otmoor, Oxon
25-Nov-2021 : Otmoor, Oxon
22-Nov-2021 : Radley Lakes, Oxon (6+)
21-Nov-2021 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (6)
17-Nov-2021 : Otmoor, Oxon